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If you’re serious about your cocktails, it’s time to start thinking of ice as an ingredient. Yes, it’s “just water,” but the water you use, how you treat it, and what you freeze it in really do matter. The clarity of a piece of ice is a point of pride for boutique barkeeps, which is why distilled (or at least filtered) water is preferred. Boiling and cooling it before it’s frozen also helps remove impurities. Make sure your freezer’s clean, too: Ice can absorb “off” odors as it sits.

Then there are the trays themselves. Extra-large cubes look impressive, whether in a rocks glass or a punch bowl, where they won’t get dwarfed by all that liquid. But supersizing has a practical payoff: Large cubes melt more slowly, so your Scotch on the rock stays cold longer and dilutes more slowly. Look for 2- or 2 1/2″ silicone molds. They come in almost every hue imaginable, but done right, the ice they make will be perfectly clear. Keep clicking for more ice (ice baby) and recipes that only benefit from awesome ice cubes.

Large cubes melt more slowly, so your Scotch on the rock stays cold longer and dilutes more slowly.